Sentence Conjunctions in the Gospel of Matthew: kai, de, tote, gar, oun and Asyndeton in Narrative Discourse

Description

This study applies linguistic research on discourse markers to sentence conjunctions in Matthew's Gospel. The treatment combines linguistic insights with a detailed examination of Matthew's use of kai, de and similar conjunctions in narrative passages, culminating in a verse by verse commentary on the structure of Matthew's "miracle chapters", Matthew 8-9. Black breaks new ground in linguistic theory by modelling the interplay between features such as sentence conjunction, word order and verb tense in the portrayal of continuity and discontinuity in Greek narrative. The volume is aimed at New Testament scholars, classicists, discourse analysts and linguists.

Stephanie Black is a member of the faculty of the Evangelical Graduate School of Theology, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

"This book is not for the faint hearted....Black aptly and carefully applies insights from linguistics and discourse analysis....Her database is broad enough to deal with his complexity of usage. That her conclusions may illuminate structural issues is an added bonus to an already-significant analysis." --Jeannine K. Brown, Religious Studies Review, January 2003 "By Black's own admission, much of the volume is not for the faint of heart! However, through numerous summaries, and a clear, explicative style, the diligent reader can follow along with the "science" in the book...Knowledgeable exegetes and students alike will eagerly look forward to the next generation of classroom grammars integrating the results of Black's fine research and the research of others, which it will inspire." -Henry S. Baldwin, Singapore Bible College, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society * Blurb from reviewer * "This work is a wealth of data, analysis, and examples that are quite helpful to one working in Matthew...She [Black] helpfully locates her work in the discussion of more comprehensive Classical and Hellenistic Greek studies and is well aware of the dangers of making decisive judgments based on such a small database, the 18,300 or so words in Matthew (103-4). Hers in a unique contribution to the much neglected field of lexico-grammatical issues in the first Gospel...[I]t is well worth the investment of time and effort on the part of the reader to mine the wealth of material provided in Black's careful study." -Review of Biblical Literature, 5/2004 * Blurb from reviewer *